Red and IF - A complicated story
by Archaeologist of Humanity
Summary: While thinking deeply about IF, Red is injured both physically and mentally. When IF decides she can't recriprocate Red's feelings, things take a turn for the worse for our red haired heroine... [Rated T for language and related stuff regarding romance, etc.]


Red's heavy footsteps echoed throughout the forest path she was travelling down. She was pondering to herself as she did so. She was extremely troubled. This was because a certain 'Someone' didn't really seem to take her seriously. Or maybe not seriously enough? Either way, she wanted more...But it was for naught at least...In her head she thought that.

She would often 'pounce' on her wifey number 1...And try and declare her love for the one and only guild agent but...But... Nothing seemed to work. At least, to the red head's never ending circled memories at least. Painful memories that held a heavy weight over her heart - But still. She still loved her...

'Iffy...' She cast her mind back to the time when she first landed on her... It was amusing, that was for sure, yet... Something was missing - And it hurt. It HURT a lot!

What was this feeling she had? What relevance did it have? It was heavy... and it hurt. Was it...No, love was something else entirely! Like what had happened to her earlier that year! Yes! This had to be something NEW...Something...Wait-

Red slowed down to a stop, kicking some rocks away from herself which made noisey knocks with each other as she looked around. Closing her eyes - Allowing herself to drift off slowly, she was at harmony with nature all around her. (Besides the noisey rocks - Those were annoying).

No monster's nearby... Just her and her thoughts. Dangerous as that could be, it was the best thing for her right now she decided. "I need to think..." She then reminded herself of her crush on the guild agent once again, "It hurts Iffy..." She whispered to herself as a dull pain in her chest echoed. Her breath was slow yet uneven taking in and blowing out fresh non-chemical air like in Lastation. "I can't be near you... Yet I want to be...How can I..." She opened her eyes and eyed a small patch of grass where it looked shiny so she walked over to it lowering herself onto it.

Leaning back onto a tree behind herself, she looked at cereulean blue skies. "Why won't you take me seriously IF?" She sighed out as she couldn't shake this horrible feeling in her chest. It was like something was trapped and couldn't get out. Yet, if she tried to do anything about it when she was near IF, she'd go red faced and have to leave her 'Wifey Number #1'...

She tried to think as to what it meant to be a party with IF... But it probably didn't mean much...

Several tears started to gather in her eyes as she tried to force them away. "I don't deserve to be her friend...Does she even think I'm a friend? Oh, true goddess..."

She started to cry as the emotions washed over her like a train wreck. She had never felt like this since...Since...Well, she couldn't remember. Shaking her head, she tried to think of something positive, but that failed as well. And just when things were starting to level out...

She fell through the ground and ended up in a small pit. Probably a trap set for monsters but she screamed as she fell and hit the bottom of the pit with her right arm underneath her. Her right arm felt in a lot of pain...was it twisted? It hurt a lot either way so she cried and cried - But no-one came-

Or so she thought.

"IF...If...Iffy..." She cried repeatedly, desperately trying to rid of the tears with her left hand, the other one being in great pain underneath her. Trying ever so hard to get over it... But nothing happened.

She reached her left arm around herself and pushed herself up into a seating position. Looking up at the pit's walls, it wasn't TOO deep, so she reached with her left hand and grabbed some dirt of the wall and began to pull herself up, and although in great pain, managed to get her right hand to do the same.

Eventually, after much deliberation, she came out of the pit and rolled to behind the tree still crying and wishing her number one crush in the world would come to her aid.

"Roar..."

Red looked to the monster behind her. "Go away..." She muttered.

The monster grabbed ahold of her right hand which was currently limp and bit into it, causing Red to yell in pain. "GET OFF!"

The creature seemed to understand this, either that or it was frightened of loud noises, so it let go and headed away. Leaving Red to shake as small pools of blood (which matched her dress) came from her right hand onto the floor. She eyed a bigger tree with NO Shiny grass beneath it and headed for it.

Upon getting there she couldn't stop crying. Desperately trying to get rid of tears with her left hand as she leaned against the tree when she got there.

Sliding down the tree she ended up on the floor, her tears finally subsiding as she had been crying a lot.

[Not far away...]

IF was returning from a quest with Compa when her sensitive ears picked up on the crying. "Compa!"

Compa nodded and the pair began to run towards the pit. "Hang on!" IF shouted as they got closer...Compa slowed down. "Iffy...L-Look..." She pointed to a red patch on the ground.

IF looked to where Compa was pointing and saw blood. It was, she knelt down and looked at it, fresh. She placed her finger into it and smelt it - Iron. It was someone's blood. But who-

"IF...If...iffy...help me...Please...I...No...Not like this..."

IF heard her name being spoken and was shocked. Something about the voice was familiar... But what?

"If I had never landed on you, this would never have happened. I am...So... Sorry..." A hiccup followed by more crying from behind the nearest tree could be heard.

Compa walked towards the tree as IF stood in place. It couldn't be...

Yet it was.

The closer the two got they saw a certain colour of torn clothes and a crying girl...Wait...It WAS!

IF whispered the name at first, "R...Red?"

Red looked up at IF as she spoke her name, "I...Iffy?"

IF shook her head. "If I had known you were here I'd have come faster. What are you doing? Wait- Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Red looked down at this her eyes tracing the ground to look for some reason to escape - Away from IF's piercing Emerald green gaze. "I don't..." A hiccup. "Wanna say..."

IF cast a glance to Compa who nodded, IF knelt down next to Red and picked her up slowly, leaning her against the tree better so she wasn't struggling, although she saw her wince. "Red. Tell me what's bothering you-" She took in a breath and smiled warmly at her. "I'm not going to be mad. I just want to know what's wrong?"

Red started to stutter. "I...I...I wanna te-ell- you...B-b-b-ut I can't..."

IF cast a look to Red's right hand and cursed under her breath. "Your hurt!"

Red lowered her gaze as Compa got a first aid kit from her inventory.

IF gave Compa a thumbs up as she leaned closer to Red. "Look at me. Red."

Red shook her head and shut her eyes tight shut. "I can't...Not after everything! I don't deserve to know you! I..."

IF slowly reached to Red's chin but stopped when Red whispered something very significant;

"I know this probably will come as no surprise and you probably have a lot of people who do this anyway but...I love you Iffy...Always."

IF stopped and retracted her hand. "Red..." She was in worlds of uncertainty. Sure, it was nice to be appreciated but...Wasn't Red taking this a bit too far? Was she...No, she was aching/desperately seeking someone to love and IF was the target of that. Must have been their chance meeting all those years ago.

IF shuddered a bit. If you call someone landing on you and not getting off as a chance meeting, then sure.

IF started to step back a bit. "R-Red. I appreciate the though-"

Red looked up at IF and in that very instant, for once in her life, IF didn't know what to do. "It's not a thought Iffy...I love you. I want to be with you... But I can't be...I'm sorry...But I can't stop this feeling - Please don't hate me..."

IF was like a deer stuck in the headlights of a car - She had Compa looking at her AND Red staring into her soul. Things were complicated... She had given Compa the first beginnings of a relationship that was slightly above their best friend friendship so... She couldn't take ANOTHER responsiblity on top could she?

This hurt her more then it should do... But she had no choice.

IF took in a deep breath as Compa (and Red) waited on her next move...Which was not going to be in Red's favour unfortunately.

"I...I'm honoured you think like that. I honestly do. Red...I...I can't reciprocate those feelings...P-Please don't be offended!"

Red never looked so disheartened to IF as her eyes went...Dark? How did... Red lowered her head at this point.

"Okay..."

* * *

To Be Continued...


End file.
